3. Can teeth be stained by food and drink?

Beverages such as tea, coffee or fruit juices leave stains that are not easy to remove by brushing.
Highly coloured sweets can also cause staining of children's teeth.
The build up of stains caused by food and drink takes place slowly.

8. Can internal stains develop in teeth that have already erupted?

Injury to a tooth can cause the nerves and blood vessels to die. This will blacken the tooth from within. The discolouration is caused by the breakdown of the dead blood cells in the pulp of the tooth.

The treatment to remove dead nerves and blood vessels in permanent teeth can be followed by the gradual darkening of the tooth from within.